


The Paladin and The Bard

by Opal_Fossils



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Dungeons and Dragons, Gay, M/M, Monsters and Mana, Paladin, adashi, follow @galrakcith, follow @macrossers, hiiii, uwu
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-05
Updated: 2019-01-05
Packaged: 2019-10-05 01:10:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17315243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Opal_Fossils/pseuds/Opal_Fossils
Summary: Adam and Shiro decide to play a game of Monsters and Mana, they have an encounter with a ferocious troll and a sneaky spider.. will they manage to survive and complete their quest together?





	The Paladin and The Bard

“So any chance you’ll tell me what we’re doing?” Adam asked again as they walked down the Atlas hallway. If he was honest he wouldn’t mind walking with Shiro all day, hand in hand, together but as much as he loved the calm his curiosity could not be dampened. “Are we going to go to space? Ooo are we going to meet some aliens maybe?” He teased, resting his head in the crook of Shiro’s neck as he waited for a response.  
“We are going to play a game that’s absolutely incredible. I mean I didn’t get to play it myself but I have the memories and I know you will love it”  
As they finally drew to a halt Adam squeezed Shiro’s hand, “as long as I get to play with you.”

“HELLO GUYS!” Coran beamed, pushing open the door with his book. Adam and Shiro followed him in, the former giving his boyfriend an uneasy glance. They entered the small room and took their seats, Adam and Shiro sitting together on a couch whilst Coran took a chair opposite the table already set with the game board. In traditional Garrison style the room was sparsely decorated, lighting dim making the bright, Altean blue of the board even more stunning. “So.. What exactly is this game?” Adam asked, lifting up a figure from the board, “seems interesting”  
“It’s Monsters and Mana! The best game on this side of the galaxy.” Coran proclaimed, rising from the board after making some last minute adjustments, “are you ready?” he asked eagerly but as he looked at Adam it dawn upon him that he had not explained the rules of the game.  
“You both get to play as a fantastical character, an infinite amount of talents and possibilities you’ve never experienced,” he punctuated this with a slight glare at Shiro, “I, the Lore Master, will guide you on your quests and aid you with your decisions.” The gleeful Altean turned to Adam and received a blank stare.  
“Are you serious?”  
Shiro and Coran simultaneously gulped but Adam’s face softened and he turned to Shiro, “dungeons and dragons?” he tilted his head as he stared at his boyfriend but he didn’t seem to understand, “Takashi this is the same game that you deemed too nerdy back in our trainee days”  
“Dear, this is an Altean game, it’s never been on Earth before” his tone was genuine, devoid of any trickery- he really had forgotten what Dungeons and Dragons was.  
Coran laughed as he passed them their character cards, “you two remind me of me and Alfor”, his voice strained as he said the name of his oldest friend but he left no time to delve into it and instead explained how Adam could create his character.  
“I think I’m going to be a paladin again!”  
“Oh quiznack”  
~~  
His sword scraped against the floor as he sauntered forward, a smirk on his face. A few curt words were given to bystanders, a varied crowd of goblins, imps and other beings, but his attention was focused on the man sitting alone on a table in the depths of the tavern. “Hey there handsome,” he stepped forward, hands on his hips and blocked the man’s view. “So, what’s your name?”  
The man raised his head, hood sliding down to reveal a spotless silver circlet on top of a neat head of black hair. “I am Takashi Shirogane, paladin on a quest to avenge my master”. For a few moments his serious stance remained before he broke into a grin, “what do you think?”  
Casually his boyfriend took a seat on the table itself, “I think that a paladin could do with a dashing bard on his quest, what do you think?” If his tempting tone was not enough he trailed his finger against Shiro’s chest, all the while keeping eye contact.  
It was safe to say Shiro was more than a bit speechless by this new side of his boyfriend.  
After a few seconds he managed to regain his composure and smiled, “I would be grateful for any help you can offer. I must know, dear bard, what is your name?”  
“The name’s West,” he grinned, “as mighty as the soldiers of the West Woods, as fast as the West Winds and armed with a wit greater than Wordlock of the West”

  
_“Hang on a tick”_  
_“Shiro chose his own name, again, and Adam… did you choose your surname?”_  
_“MOVING ON!”_

 

West and Shiro left the tavern and walked out into the cold night, ready for their quest. “Where do we go first, mighty paladin?” West asked, twirling his sword in his hands as he followed behind Shiro, who was oblivious that his partner didn’t share his seriousness.  
Sinking his sword into the ground Shiro stood still, head facing the moon. Hesitantly West poked his back and much to his surprise it managed to kick him into action. Shiro sniffed the air before turning his head, “I, can smell the scent of the Leviathan Demon who killed my master, it is east” he raised and quickly dropped his left hand before pointing with the right… straight into the eye of a passing troll. “Oops”  
The troll stood tall, a towering grey mass of fur which looked more sharp than soft. Its face bore an expression of rage, a row of fangs standing to attention beneath a triad of green eyes.  
It reached forward slowly, aiming to capture Shiro in its grasp but the paladin rolled away into surrounding foliage.  
West was standing against a fence post calmly and feigned a yawn, "this isn't how I expected the noble Takashi Shirogane to battle."  
The paladin ignored the comment as he stood, sword in hand, ready to regain his honour.  
His adversary had barely reached him so he took the time he had to conceive a strategy; the best plan of action would be to use that speed to his advantage- but how..  
He had no more time to dwell on ifs and buts as he ducked down, avoiding the swipe of a claw. He rose soon after, sword above him and it struck the chest of the troll but there was no cut, no incision or even a scratch. He could be sworn that the troll smiled as he pushed him to the ground.

Realising things were getting out of hand Adam sprang up but he did not bring his sword out to play, instead he drew a small lute from his back and carefully strummed a tune on the delicate strings. The music needed no words to work its charm, as he drew nearer to the troll its eyes began to close and then it collapsed in a heap on the floor, snores barely audible and soon it was sound asleep.  
Shiro stood up and made his way to West, "how did you do that?"  
His companion simply smiled and began another song, less lulling and more exciting as they strode onwards, ready to face more foes.

They travelled a great length through the forest but they encountered few obstacles, it was honestly more relaxing than anything West thought. That thought did not last for long.  
Ahead of them, in between a pair of great oak trees was an intricately crafted web and the designer loomed above, menace in all eight eyes. The spider was no ordinary spider of course, its body alone was the size of the Black Lion's head (and Shiro did not plan on staying in anything remotely similar to the Black Lion's head again). Stretching out from the bulging black body were 8 spindly black legs, all of their ends buried within the trees. Shiro reached out to grab West’s hand, hoping that his boyfriends phobia of siders would not pass through to this world. The beads of sweat on his frozen hand denied him the little hope he had.  
All he had to do was get West out of the vicinity of the spider silently. This would be easy. He realised he had spoken too soon for the second time that day as he heard a scuttling behind him. Sword in hand he turned around greeted by nothing but the green of the forest. He must have imagined the sound.  
Third time.  
Leaves were destroyed, branches snapped, ground crumpled as the spider charged forward, rear legs working as hard as they could whilst the front two waved out frantically before clashing with Shiro’s blade. He swiped forward, knocking the left arm back, gaining ground on the beast however it did not give up easily. The right arm dropped down on to his head, shaking the chainmail on his head. The paladin advanced, cape flying behind him and pierced the chest of the beast. It fell, defeated and as a reward for its conqueror it released a fountain of garish purple blood.

  
_“Coran I really think he would have stepped back”_  
_“ ”_  
_Sigh_

  
Shiro returned to find his partner cowering behind a bush, “West? It’ll all be ok”  
In answer the spider screamed. He didn’t even know they could scream.  
He turned up to face the beast they had observed earlier now hanging above them its gaping mouth revealing countless rows of teeth. Shiro took hold of his sword but it was batted away like a mere fly by the spider who looked down at Shiro with disgust. He tried to leap up, land a hit on one of its eyes but he was caught in its tight grasp and he doubted he could escape.  
“West, I need you” he strained against the hold, his chest felt like it was trapped in a vice.

He called again but yielded no response, West was still too frightened to do anything.

_“A D A M. IT’S NOT REAL”_

  
Reluctantly West stood up and looked at the scene; there was no chance he would be able to land a hit on the spider himself but maybe…  
Slowly he crept out into the open until there was nothing left to hide behind.. This was it. He pulled his sword out, readying an attack but once he caught sight of an incoming leg he threw the sword up to Shiro and ducked down, narrowly missing the attack. An ear-splitting screech rang through his ears as the beast’s leg fell to the floor, its blood staining West’s sword. He raced to get his discarded belongings and returned to take Shiro’s hand as they fled the scene, hand in hand, relief flooding their bodies and grins etched across their faces.  
They passed the spider’s web and Shiro caught a glint of green within. An oddly familiar green.  
He stopped in his tracks and West joined him, both peered into the web but neither could make out what was lurking inside.  
"I'll keep watch" West told him, not wanting to go anywhere near the web.  
Shiro nodded and began to climb the three until he reached the level of the web. An emerald green glow emanated from the edge of the sticky white substance, very out of the ordinary. He clambered into the web, landing on his knees, how dignified he thought. He inched forward gradually until he had crossed the surface and reached what he desired. It was a small green gem and it brought back a flood of memories. Something similar had been left behind by the Leviathan Demon when it destroyed his home.. They were on the right track. He began to move but the web sunk beneath his weight and with an audible snap it crashed to the floor.  
He stood up, gem in hand, trying to get rid of the remnants of the web which were still stuck to his hands. West chose not to help but being the mature man he was he stood laughing.  
"SPIDER" Shiro shouted causing West to trip and fall before looking back to see nothing.  
Now it was Shiro's turn to laugh.

  
_BEEP BEEP_  
~~  
Shiro looked up from the table, stretching his neck, “looks like our game ends here” he sighed to Adam. The duties of Atlas Captain called him.  
“For now” Adam smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanl you so much for reading!!  
> I'd love if you could tell me what you thought and if you have the time feel free to check out another fic I wrote over here https://archiveofourown.org/works/17310062 :33 thank you!


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